The Hero
by nerdkink
Summary: Five years after the second battle of Hoover Dam the Courier is now the Hero of the NCR, but still she can not leave her past behind. A sexy adventure of the Hero living trying to move on from her past with her girlfriend, until her past comes back and feeling she had tried to forget comes back. Rated M for Sex and language. This is a WIP
1. Chapter 1

A young woman, born in a Primm took a normal courier job, her life was set traveling the  
Mojave wasteland for many years until she got a simple job or what she thought would be  
simple. She was shot in the head by the Head Chairman of the the Tops. Everything changed in  
these two years after, She killed the Chairman in his own suite, she killed Cesar in his own  
camp, she killed the founder of New Vegas, Mr. House and in the end she fought beside the New  
California Republic winning them the Hoover Dam. She won the title of Hero of the NCR, the only  
person to carry that title, she got the highest honor that the NCR could give to a non soldier.  
Stories were told of the Hero, books writen and even comic books were made for this woman.  
There was only one image of this woman with President Aaron Kimball, who she saved his life.  
The short woman, dressed in NCR armor, with large sunglasses and a cowboy hat, shaking  
hands with the President. Her short blond hair disheveled and her emotionless face looked back  
to the camera. This image hangs on the Hoover Dam as a reminder that help comes from the  
oddest places. Many illustrations where made of the Hero, but only the ones who worked beside  
her knew who she was.

The Hero changed the lives of everyone she touched, she made friends and lost friends.  
The undying love for the NCR caused her to lose friends, instead of destroying the Brotherhood  
of Steel Bunker in Hidden Valley, she spared their lives like a goddess reaching to them, making  
a truths and having them join with the NCR in the final battle of Hoover Dam. She met a wash out  
sniper in her travels and helped him get over his loss of his dead wife and helped him enlist into  
the NCR first recon. A young doctor of the Followers of the Apocalypse fought along side of her  
and the NCR, along with the Enclave remnants, but after being found out of being a part of the  
Enclave, he was kicked out of the Apocalypse and left all he knew behind. The ex owner of  
Cassidy Caravans, fought along side with the Hero, helping strength the trade rodes for the NCR  
and building new law for caravan traders. A ghoul was seen traveling with the Hero as he  
followed her lead and became a hero to all the weak and helpless. The Vaquero stayed in the  
area fighting off slavers and helping anyone, he became a ghostly figure in his prewar cowboy  
outfit staying up his shack where the Hero would come a visit on her free time. A Nightkin who  
traveled shortly with the Hero was seen regularly at Jacobstown and with the help of the Hero  
was back on to her full dose of medicine that helped her move on from her past. The mechanical  
dog got a new brain while traveling with the Hero, getting a fiend brain that made him movement  
violate but a good protector for the King. Then there is EDE,  
the odd eyebot that never left the  
side of the Hero, it's saved files became helpful for the Followers of the Apocalypse and was a  
helpful source to upgrade to the Poseidon Energy.

This is a story of the Hero, five years after the second war and final for the Hoover Dam.

* * *

It was a cool afternoon at Camp McCarran, it was the middle of fall though the heat of the  
sun, rarely changed with the season, it beat down on the soldiers the cool breeze at least dried  
the sweat off. In the front sniper tower sat two woman, one leaning forward on her sniper rifle  
and the other leaned back on her chair, with her rifle on her lap. One with her hair in a tight blond  
bun, huge sunglasses covering half her face and a ranger hat on her head. She held on to her  
cigar tightly in between her lips as she looked at her companion.

"You get'n hungry, babe?" The other woman had chopped hair, she looked to her friend  
as she moved her face away from her scope.

"How long til we're off?" The blond woman plays with her pipboy.

"30." She runs her fingers over the chipped metal of her pipboy, looking up she nods at  
the direction of a group of soldiers. "Looks like a couple boys on leave." The other woman moves  
her rifle from the railing and rest it on the side of her chair. Removing the red beret from her  
head and wipes the sweat from her freshly shaved head.

"You can get down to the mess hall, I'll wait her til Spades gets here."

"You trust me alone in the mess hall with all the new boys?" She jokes as she shakes the  
ash off her cigar. Her Companion turns to her and reaches her arm out, he fingertips touch  
gently on the blonde's chin, making her grin.

"Everyone knows you're mine"

"Betsy.." She wanted to say something, but didn't finish it. "You going to be okay?"

"Hell yeah, it ain't nothing I did before." Betsy smiled at her, as she watched her lover  
stand up out of the chair and put her sniper rifle on her back.

"Don't take too long." She said as she opened the door to the stairs.  
As she walked down the stairs and remembered how Camp McCarran was the first time she  
was here. She was just a Courier then, the area was small and full makeshift tents, now there is  
trailers for soldiers to sleep in and they opened up the airport adding the mess hall and bunkers.

She made her way to the barracks where she slept and kept her pack. She removed her hat,  
relieving the fading bullet scar where she was shot in the head only half a decade ago. Taking off  
her sunglasses to adjust her eyes to the dark barracks as she rubbed her lush green eyes and  
began removing her armored jacket when she heard something.

"Hey, Herrrrroooo." She knew that voice and she turned to the soldier.

"Christensen, you know my god damn name and it ain't Hero." Turning she looked to the  
soldier with his spiked red hair and blushed face.

"Sorry, Hero, let me buy ya an apple to make it up to ya." Christensen watched the Hero  
remove her jacket, relieving her white wife beater.

"Not until you call me by my fucking name." She noticed him looking, she shrugged and  
dropped the dusty jacket on her bed.

"Fine, Laura I'll buy ya a beer too." He watched her put her hat and sunglasses back on,  
then she followed behind him as they made their way to the mess hall. Laura took at seat at the  
couch by the wall as she crossed her legs and kept a watchful eye on Christensen, who quickly  
came back with some fruit and two cold beers, that was the nice thing about living in a camp, the  
old refrigerators still worked. The ice cold drinks draped over his dirty hands as hesat on the  
other end of the couch and passed her a beer and the fruit, even the fruit was cool, not as much  
as the fosty glass bottle, but cooler than the wasteland. She wasted no time before popping open  
the beer bottle and a swig before turning her attention back to him.

"So what do you want now?" She knew that the young crowd of soldiers only talked to her  
when they wanted her to sign a book or tell them her bull shit war story. Hell the girl was getting  
old, though people didn't say she looked it, of course they ignored the few wrinkles and saggy tits  
because she was, as they called her the 'Hero' and just being called that made her roll her eyes.

Laura was creeping close to 40 years, which was a big number for woman in the wasteland and  
from what she read, was a big number before the war. Still she didn't let that hold her back, she  
could still outrun and out drink most of the new boys anytime, if it wasn't for that rioting tooth in  
the back of her jaw she would have thought she was still 30. She kept herself healthy, if you  
didn't count her heavy smoking habit, the woman was might not have the strength to fist with  
anyone but the way she was with guns they'd have no chance to get close enough to pull a fist  
on her, on the count that there be so many holes in their body.

"I don't want anything." He was lying, he had a tell he won't look in her eyes when said it,  
the woman enjoyed playing with the kid, being some fresh faced 17 year old, she could have  
sweared she could have played connect the dots with the zits on the kid's face. Christensen  
flinched as she grabbed the apple, while she grinned evilly,

"Don't give me that shit, boy, spit it out." She bit into the apple with a loud crunch.

"Will, I am sure you know the guys from first recon are coming here on their leave..." He  
hesitated "...And I told them that I was tight with the Hero." She looked at him, still crewing on the  
apple, he couldn't see her eyes, but he could tell she was not happy.

"What do you mean by 'tight'?" She did air quotations as his face turned more red than  
before, almost matching the red pus filled zits, she would have laughed but held her composure.

"It's not like we are fucking or anything" he fumbled with the beer in his hand. "I told them  
you were like... my best friend."

"You want me to act like your girlfriend, right?" She knew what he wanted, he couldn't  
hide it.

"You could, if... you don't mind."

"And what if My girlfriend comes in?"

"You think Betsy would mind?"

"What the fuck do you think?" She turned her body towards him and rested her arm on  
the back of the couch.

"Can you at least say, you're my partner?" He meant his sniper partner, but she still didn't  
like being called any one's partner.

"Fine, but keep your grubby mitts off me. You think I don't know what cha do in bunk, I  
never met anyone who'd love himself so passionately" Laura bit back into her apple, when she  
heard the group of boys come in, her eyes rolled over the faceless men, she had given up on  
looking for her old companion, evey god damn bald man looked the same. Only one person  
caught her eye, her lover, Betsy who followed the group of boys and yet stood out. Laura knew it  
was through great young tits the girl had, who made the Hero pale in comparison to the woman  
or so the woman thought. Besty was more than a few years younger than Laura, yet didn't have  
the confidence that the high charisma Hero had.

With her beret in her hand, Betsy made a beeline to Laura, walking bull legged to the  
couch and seating right in between Laura and Christensen. Making no remark to the man next to  
her she turned to her lover and pressed her lips to the woman's thin lips.

"hmm... you taste like apple." She flirted with her lover as she licked her lips.

"That is one thing I taste like." One side of Laura's lip curled up after she said that, she  
was good at keeping a straight face, but there was times where she really had to push away a  
smile. Christensen moved uncomfortably on the couch, trying to get Betsy to notice him.

"You guys going on leave too?" his voice was unsure and with Betsy still not looking at  
him, he doubted he would get a reply. Times like this was normal, the public display of affection  
and of course Christensen being ignored by the two woman or any woman; Laura motioned her  
head to Christensen trying to get Betsy to turn toward him.

"Ah, didn't see you there little guy. Yeah we're hitting the strip." Betsy turned to him and  
watched him over her shoulder, when her eyes widen like a light bald went off in her head. "you  
know what, I should invite the boys."  
Betsy was a regular at Gomorrah and when she normally brought a big enough group of  
soldiers she would get a discount. In a sense, she was one of the boys; not having many female  
friends other than the ones she bedded and must of the time she had a tendency to scare a big  
group of woman away, in fact Laura remembers the first time she met Betsy, some odd years  
ago, Betsy told her she was grade A poon. Not the best pick up like, but a few years later Laura  
came back and Betsy asked her out and they have been stuck together since.

Betsy stood up and walked up to the table with the first recon boys, "Hey guys, so my old  
lady and I are going up to Gomorrah tomorrow, if ya want to join us." The boys sat quiet until one  
of them ask

"Who's your old lady?"

"The fucking Hero of the NCR, that's who." Laura kept her head down, she hated being  
call the Hero let alone being called someone's old lady. She felt their eyes on her and she lifted  
her head to see them looking at her, she waved half heartedly to the boys.

"That's the Hero? She doesn't look like much." A familiar voice said, Laura looked to who  
said it and then realized it was the old companion. She stood up and felt the rush of being the  
certain of attention, which was something she didn't like being, grabbing a chair, she sat across  
from her old companion, as she brained stormed a comeback.

"May not look like much, but enough to save your ass more than a few times." Not the  
best comeback, but it worked, she pulled off her sunglasses and leaned back. "your style hasn't  
changed in what, the last five years." she remembered the first time she met him, wearing the  
same white shirt and cargo pants and he never took off his fucking beret, but now he was all in  
soldier wear looking fancy but still the fucking beret. Laura thought it was funny that the girl she  
was dating was almost the same way with her beret, she guessed it was a first recon kinda  
thing, just like how she was with her sunglasses.

"And how has great Hero of the NCR?"

"Kicking ass and taking names, same old shit, same old shit, and what about you old  
man?" She enjoyed calling him old man, cause he was one of the few people older than her and  
that won't kick her ass for calling them that. Laura felt a little more at ease when she felt the eyes  
of the soldiers move away from her and back to Betscy whe she heard talk in the background.

"Wait you know each other?" A weak voice from the teenager that sat next to Craig said.

"Yup,I got this old man back in the NCR, without me kid, he'd still be at that shitly hotel  
moping." She taut him as she took off her hat.

"And I knew her when she fucked men." they taut each other, it was obvious that they had  
spent years traveling with each other, but the young teenager still didn't understand.

"What?" The teenager made a look like he was trying to put a puzzle together.

"How old are you, boy." Laura turned her attention to him.

"18, sir been in the first recon for a month, sir." He saluted her and she waved the statue  
off along with him calling her sir.

"I ain't a god damn soldier, boy, put your hand down." She shifted in her chair and pulled  
out a pack of cigarettes, she put one in her mouth and lit it, she left the pack on the table to share  
with the men she sat with.

"And what's your name?" The smoke came out of her mouth as she said this.

"Miller, sir." He grabbed for a cigarette as he fumbled with the lighter.

"You smoke?" Craig looked to his partner who was messing with the lighter still. Then  
with a quick grip, he took the light from the teenager's hand and flanked it on. He lit Miller's  
cigarette and then lit his own.

"Hell... if the Hero smokes... I smoke too." He coughed out the words, which made the  
other two laugh a puff of smoke out.

"I ain't a god damn saint and I ain't a hero, specially if I get little boys to start smoking."  
Laura looked to the young boy, he had this dark haired mohawk hidden under his red beret.  
Betsy put her hands on Laura's shoulder making Laura almost jump, she turned to her left side,

Betsy came close to her head first with a deep kiss. Their tongues met and caressing each  
other, her hand ran down the Hero's neck, landing softly on the strap of her white tank top. Laura  
moved her head back and away from the heavy kiss, surprised by her girlfriend's boldness.  
Betsy's eye met the boy's eye, seeming to say 'stay away, she's mine'. Miller's mouth was  
agape from the woman's deep kiss, when Craig kicked his companion's boot, with his own,  
kicking him back into reality.

"I am going to take a shower." Betsy said as she gave Laura a look that sensed to melt  
her knees.

"Duty calls." Laura stood up and nodded to the boys, leaving behind her pack of smokes  
and the boys to wonder what would happen next.

"I think I need a cold shower." Miller joked breaking the silence.

"Miller, respect your elders and your heroes." Something Craig would never say in front of  
his old companion, still they sat there in shock or wondering about the... shower.

"Boone... you never..." Miller hesitated

"No... I was a hired gun, nothing more." He looked to his companion watching a bead of  
sweat drop from Miller's forehead. Miller looked at the table after the woman were out of sight,  
noticing that the Hero left her hat and sunglasses there.

"Bet you want to be her hired gun again." Miller said suggestively, Craig replied with rough  
but not painful punch on the teenager's shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2 - Betsy

A/N: This is might to be through Betsy's eyes, Past and Present. The Past does talk about rape, but with no detail, but there is also a Lesbian sex scene in the Present. If you don't want to read the sex scene, just read the past, cause it's a background about Betsy, so I think It's important to the story, but the present isn't so much.  
ENJOY and remember this is MA

* * *

Past...  
It was ages since the then 25 year old sniper got the order, it should have been a simple attack, Betsy and her partner 10 of Shades had watched the crazed fiend for days. They had learned about every movement he made, the chaotic schedule was almost like clock work; He'd wake up, cook, feed the dogs, fuck someone or something, then spend a few hours hunting for any wastelander, but his favorite was NCR. Everyday he'd find one, Cook-Cook had haunted the area with his fiends, getting at least one person a day to beat, rape, kill and cook them and yet sometimes not in that order. When the hit was to go down it was late night, when he should have been sleeping, a single shot rang out on the bedroll, but still no blood and no one woke. the two had walked down from their spot to check the bodies but instead they were raided; the bed rolls were all stuff and for some reason Cook-Cook knew they were coming. Both fought, but lost. Their was too many fiends, to many men. Betsy had to watch as they beat Shades into a bloody pulp, until he had lost consciousness. The soldier she was swore to protect, the partner she had to teach, she watched and realized her failure, but yet Cook-Cook, didn't do this just to bring shame to her, but she was to get fiends took turns beating the woman, every way until every part of her hurt, were breathing hurt more than crying and like his chaotic schedule, he did what he always did.

By the time 10 of Shades awoke, the woman had been broken more than once, naked and violated, every which way. Helpless the woman laid on the ground, caked dirted dried to the mess of sweat and cum and shit; while just a few feet away, the fiend began cooking, the heavy pot on top of a pit of fire. No other fiends were in sight when the everything turned red, when the weak companion gained the energy to charge, he rammed the man into the burning pot in front of him and ran to his partner. The sound of screaming and the smell of burning flesh was left behind while the sniper picked up Betsy, her feet dragging on the ground as he carried her. He only stopping, dropping her at the gate of Camp McCarran, he fell along with her, while other soldiers came to their aid and that was the last of the two had remembered and the last the two had spoke of it. The next day they woke up, knowing that they were both lucky to be alive, patched up and sore was better than being stuck in that hell and through day, weeks, and months helped heal the woman's body, it did nothing to her mind or spirit.

That is until the Hero came, but she was not called that, she was just a courier then and while Betsy stayed in denial, never speaking about what had happened, never giving in to being weak and not letting herself deal. Laura caught Betsy's attention, but why won't see, she was a beautiful woman and it was something Betsy agreed with even 5 years later, but the courier could see through her and she was the wake up call. Laura had slipped off with Betsy to a tent, she brushed her lips against the soldier's lip and as soon as Betsy came back to return the kiss, Laura stopped her, "You're a strong woman." Betsy remembered the words Laura told her, "and I know." Laura had never opened to her until the soldier broke down her guard, she finally got the help she needed and ever since the short time Betsy spend with the courier, she knew she had loved her for making her feel human and loved and understanded. That was all Betsy wanted.

Until revenge came.

It was a month after she first saw the courier, the woman was bring in the heads of fiends when she came to the her.  
"I have saved the best for last." The courier whispered in her ear, "revenge, I want you to pull the trigger."  
Betsy let Cook-Cook take his last breath, before losing the bullet into his head.

* * *

Present...  
There was not very many female soldiers in Camp McCarran, but there wasn't very many female soldiers in the NCR, so when the two woman walked into the locker it was mostly dead. It was midday when the couple took their own shower stall, the few in the locker room took leave once noticing the two slip instead, it was well knew that the two were together and very little did people complain of the two, it might have been the fact that many were standoffish of the sniper or the fact they all knew who Laura was. Betsy locked the stall door behind her, glad they got the big stall, the two did little talking as their lips meet. It was a surprise that knowing that the Hero has been out traveling, she still had soft lips, pink and beautiful like everything else on this woman.

Most of the time was spend kissing, she worshiped the Hero's lips, ending every big kiss with a few soft perks, it normally left Laura giggling as the feather kisses tickled, yet this time she seemed to be somewhere else.

"What is it, my love?" Betsy spoke between kisses as her mouth meet the flesh of her neck. This didn't give the woman a chance to speak, instead she moaned and back up until her back was pressed into the cold tile of the wall.

"The past." Laura breathed in and speak once her lover finally pulled back, "It's just weird that it's coming back."

"I know a way to keep that off your mind." She smirked while she ran her fingers over the hem of the Hero's tank top.

"Prove it to me." Laura replied with the same smirk.

The hem was quickly dismissed for the flesh under it, as the sniper's rough hands took in the soft flesh, the hem moving up over her belly button then over the pair of breasts. Through the breasts sagged slightly, they still stood out, the pink nipples hard, the hem hadn't had the chance to go over her head before Betsy slipped one of the pink nipples into her mouth while the other was rubbed and pinched. she would mover her mouth to the other nipple as her would rub the other wet nipple, feeling her whole body react was breathtaking and Betsy had to move her lips back to Laura's just because she missed them, but her hands stayed on her breast kneading them and pinching them. Laura made the next move, her hands slipping between them, she loses her belts, she moaned Betsy's name before slipping her hand past the pants, past the panties, until she found her wet sex, she slipped a finger into the wet swamp before she began moving, working it before slipping in another. Betsy's forehead was resting on her lover's while he lover pleased her, keeping her mouth on her's between fits of moans.

"You don't want us to get catch, do you?" The Hero whispered into her lips, which slipping third finger inside of her, she got no reply other than muted moans as her lover bite her bottom lip the the movement became faster. Her palm rubbing into her swollen clit as her fingers worked skillfully and fast, making the sound of skin slapping skin. Betsy failed in the end, not biting her lip enough while she finished, her hips rocking along with the hand movements, her knees almost went to jelly as the pleasure passed, their lips met again but only for a short kiss. "I think we need a shower."

Betsy watched as Laura undressed and began washing up, her long blond hair went all the way to her back, which was the longest the woman had let it grown. Running her fingers through her lover's hair she helped her lather up and as quickly as she could her cloth were off, they kissed and there soapy bodies met each other.

"My turn" Betsy lowered herself and bit softly on to Laura's nipples as her hands traced down her belly, to find the soft little circly hairs between her legs while she spread her legs a little just enough for Betsy's fingertips to caress the soft little pink folds of her sex. With her other hand still holding the scentless bar of soap, she drew circles on the Hero's back, remembering she was here to clean her, but not before she made her get a little dirty.

Betsy's kisses got lower as she got down to her knees, Laura ran her fingers on her lovers shaved head. The soap circles made it's way down her leg while she felt Betsy slip a wet finger inside her. Laura gasped as she tried to bite her lip, she didn't want to be the one to make noise, she felt Betsy tongue lick around her clitoris. She had a hard time staying standing, since he legs were getting weak from her lover's licks, she felt around for the wall. She grabbed the knobs of the shower using it as leverage as her body twitched as Betsy slid her finger in and out fast, she tighten around her finger and rotated her hips with the groove of her licking. Betsy knew the spots and the way her woman liked it, she didn't waste time, she knew the right spot, the sweet spot that gave Laura shivers down her spine. Laura pushed out a cuss softly leaving her lips, her hips pushing against Betsy's face, almost falling forward.

The sweet spot was getting warmer and wetter with each rub and caress. Laura bit roughly on her bottom lips, bleaching it white, holding back her moans and praise. Betsy slide in another finger and the Hero's knees grew weak as she got close, riding on her lovers face and

listening to her sloppily groans, pushed her to orgasm. Betsy sucked and licked up her lovers juices, with kisses, she waited until her muscles had loosened, from their tense orgasms. Laura patted and looked down to Betsy, who was smiling up at her.

She got up, standing before the Hero, then shared more tender kisses, Laura enjoyed tasting herself from her lovers mouth, when the locker room door opened. They had to stop, they both knew it, they heard someone's footsteps, so they went back to taking a bath, with a dirty smirk on each of their faces.


	3. Chapter 3 - Laura

A/N: Part 2 and Part 3 are short because they were at one point one whole part, but since the last part was meant to be seem from Betsy side that I decided to cut them apart, so it won't change view points in one chapter.

* * *

The couple laid on Betsy's tiny bunk bed, just holding each other, Laura laid on her side holding her, "I want to travel again." the sound of her voice cut into the silence, "It's been months since we left the camp." She felt slightly odd asking, saying or order anything from this woman, but the Hero was a Courier at heart, before she began bedding Betsy, she would not stay in one place for too long.

"We, were out last week for a kill. those fucking fiends keep popping up like fucking weeds."

"Yes, I remember, but no I don't want a job, I want to travel, maybe met with some old friends." Betsy's body seemed to tighten while she spoke, "You're the one still working for the NCR and until you finally leave, I'm most likely stuck with you."

"Stuck? I thought you chose to be with me?"_ That needy prick._

"I did chose you, I'm just saying that Kimball needs to let move us somewhere else." Her tone changed, "Maybe you can let me go out for a few days."_ I know for a fact that you're no Kimball and I know that you can't made me stay here._ Was what she wanted to say, but felt as if she was walking on broken glass around her.

"We're going to the Strip soon." As if a few miles would help.

"We go there every time we have a day off-"

"I'll make it worth your while." Betsy cut her off and sounded almost needy in her voice, "I love you and I would do anything for you."

"I know." Laura's jaw tightened and at the moment she wanted... no needed to run away.

Betsy had fallen asleep after an hour being held than her night terrors came, she spoke in her sleep and fought, most likely with her dream Cook-Cook, but in reality she fighting Laura; she had elbowed and punch the Hero dreamly, until she slipped off her bed. Normally the warmth of the her lover about have been enough, but not tonight. Laura slip on to the ground, her gut and breast sore from her attacks, she watched as her lover fought with something invisible and instead of holding her like she knew she should, she stood up and began to walk away.

Laura couldn't sleep her self even in her own bed, she wanted the sand between her toes and move her feet, so she followed the light to the mess hall. dressed in her normal attire of a loose khaki pants, a thin white tank top and her long hair in a braid hanging off her shoulder. It was a small area and when she saw the boys of first recon drinking and talking, she joined in sitting by Miller, who was sitting by his partner. Miller straighted up when she sat down next to him, fixing his armor and beret, she smirked to him after he did this, she know he was trying to impress her and a part of her wanted to poke at him with a stick. She also knew that if Colone Hsu heard them up this late, they would most likely get a few swipes of a wet noodle or at least a few extra duties.

"Ain't it late for a little boy like you to be out?" She tesed Miller.

"Ma'am, I mean no disrespect, but if I am old enough to kill then I'm old enough can stay up late." A good answer for such a young boy, she nodded to him and lift a beer from the table, saluting him with it.

"I think you earned my respect boy, but don't you even dare call me ma'am again." She said that with a smile.

"Did you enjoy your shower?" Boone leaned forward on the table catering his beer.

"Oh, I didn't notice you there, old man." She winked, "why, yes, I got pretty clean." She lifted her eyebrows subjectively.

"Ma... Miss Laura." He caught himself, "I just want to say that, I read stories about you and you made me want to join the NCR." His fingertips touched each other as he stumbled over the words.

"Thanks boy, but when I was younger I dreamed of being La Fantoma but you don't see me trying to jump off buildings." Laura opened her beer and smirked at him.

"But you're real."

"True there boy, but I won't have done it without the help of my companions." She took a swig of her beer. "They made me sound like I could fucking walk through walls." A few other soldiers nodded at her and she nodded back. "Hell I remember, I got this fucking huge rifle from the Gun Runners and we were off to Cottonwood. the fucker weighted more then me and when I shot that fucker, I fell back. The next fucking day, I had this god damn bruise from where I got the blow back. Now that fucker was powerful, but damn, I was sore in the morning!"

"That is what she said." Boone jumped in, Laura laughed hard and deep

"What, I don't get it." Miller looked to his partner

"I had a companion, this prewar ghoul, and he would say that shit all the time. I don't fucking know where he got it from, maybe some prewar text or some shit. it still cracks me up." Laura slapped the table as she held in her laughter.

"Hey, ya guys are taking the Hero away!" A voice from the other crowd of boys yelled.

"Christensen, you know there is enough of me to get around." Laura replied back, as the sound of footsteps came down the stairs. The crowd got quiet, as the shadow of Hsu went down the stairs.

"What the hell is going on here." Hsu voice was stern and hard "Line up!" Laura stayed seated as the boys ran into a line, like dogs with their tail between their legs. It was pure Favouritism that Laura didn't get punished, and it would have took a hell lot of back biting if he ordered her to line up.

"Walker, get the hell out of here." Hsu sent his voice to Laura.

"What you ain't going to make me do push ups?"

"Why, you volunteering?" Hsu kept his voice loud and stern, even when he was talking to the hero.

"Why with all those boys, I might break a nail." Laura did her best version of what she thought a southern lady would sound like.

"Walker, get up here." Laura took her sweet time, getting off her chair and walking up , dragging her feet.

"The rest of you, get down. You will be doing push up until I tell you to stop." The boys got down, doing army style push ups, straight and good in form. Hsu paused back and forward watching the boys.

"You see this woman here." He pointed at Laura who was standing in front of the boys watching them do their push ups and drinking her beer.

"She saved everyone of your miserable lives. You make not know it, she might have saved your mother's or father's life. Hell I know she saved my goddamn life, she saved the life of this country, of this state, and of the Mojave Wasteland." Laura wished she had her sunglasses now, she was blushing like crazy that sensed to make her freckles look darker.

"Hell, because of her you girls can still get into the damn Vegas Strip. So I am sick of you ladies pussy footing around. You need to start carrying your own weight around, but first you got to carry her." Laura looked up to Hsu, "I want you girls to do your damn push up with her on your back." The group seemed to sigh almost at the same time.

Hsu knew that the best way to punish Laura was to embarrass her, which he was doing pretty well. Hsu walked close to Laura, he seemed to whisper to her. "don't worry, you and the 25 pounds of you, won't hurt these boys." She felt an odd sense of power as she stood looking down at the boys and the grunts they made, made her feel taller.

She sat on each soldier, she counted the times they lifted her up, after 10 she would move on to the next soldier. Most of them took her easy, but the rest seemed to almost fumble under her weight. When she got to her old companion, she crossed her legs around his stomach and took his beret from his head. She knew his soft spots and with a grin, she placed it on her head and moved on to the other soldiers. When she did her rounds with the soldiers, she got back to Hsu, who ordered her to bed, she looked one last time at the group of boys, most of them still going strong, unaffected by her. She waved good night and they answered with a sigh as she went back to the barracks, beret still on her head.

It was an hour that Laura had been laying on her bed, looking at the bottom of the bunk bed, on top of her. There was little light in the barracks, small pieces of light came from the moon, of the tattered old shade on the windows. She heard the sound of the troopers coming into the barracks to sleep and the bed next to her creaked as someone sat on it. She recognized that bald head.

"I would really like my beret back... please." his voice shocked her, she was still in the mood to play with him a bit, she guessed, she kinda enjoyed having the upper hand with him and she missed playing and joking with something who didn't see her like some goddess.

"No." She simply replied, what would he do, the worst was take it off her head, but they worked together long enough to know what made the other tick.

"Not in the mood to play dirty, give it back." his emotionless voice hung on her ears

"Make me." So he did. He stood up and got on her bed, his knees, one on each side of her hips, he knew she hated tight spaces, so he gave her a tight spot, his hands on the side of her shoulders.

"Give it back." his voice haunted her as her arms that were at her sides became tense. He lowered to his elbows, he was pretty close to her, she felt his breath on her nose.

"Give it back." He repeated. She thought of what to do next, then she remembered drunkenly kissing him a few years back and him running away like a little girl. So she did, a little peck on his lips as she pulled herself up. He pushed his head back, bumping into the top bunk of the bed, he shook it off and got back close to her.

"Give it back" again, his voice didn't change. her heart was beating fast as she felt like the walls were closing in, she was claustrophobic, which got worse as she got older. She thought to herself, she expected him to laugh and move off of her, but when she pushed her mouth on his, she never thought he would kiss her back. His lips parted, as her mouth did the same, his tongue went into her mouth, which made her eyes open in shock.

This was an odd feeling for her, she had found him... interesting, way back when they traveled together, but she lost all hope of getting intimate with him after she heard about what he had been through. She lost all interest in men after she screwed Benny and snapped his neck while he slept. All the attraction she once had for him, seemed to come back at that very moment, just her luck.

Her hard pounding heart was beating for other reasons now, as she pulled her head back into the pillow, his head followed her, not detaching from her lips. She push her body against his which only made her heat up from his body. She felt a warmth on the back of her neck and lower to her belly, she lifted her arms onto his shoulders, she knew she could have pushed him off if she used all her strength, but she didn't. In fact, instead of fighting to push him off, she grabbed his sleeves and seemed to tug him closer.

She felt a shiver as he moved his hands on the side of her body, he rested one on her right breast and the other one rested on her hip, it made a cold sweat drop from her, as her nipples became hard under his hand. She could not believe how much she was getting into this. His hand griped her breast lightly before he moved his thumb, gently touching the tip of her clothed nipple. He lifted up her body as he moved his other hand on her butt, lifting her hips to his, she could feel the growth in his pants as she did this.

Her body lightly shake against his, their kisses got deeper as her core wanted more. She fought back the urge to wrap her legs around his hips or the urge to unzip his pants. Her fingers looped into his belt loops and she pushed his hips on her hips as she breathed harder.

In her mind she knew that her girlfriend still spelt with other people, not because she didn't love her, but because her sex drive was higher than the Hero, but at this moment her sex drive was at overdrive.

her body wanted more, hell even she wanted more, she could have begged him to have his way with her, but a voice in her head said no. She knew she shouldn't have let this get as far as it did, she knew that in any second, Betsy would wake up and see this. She had to stop, she knows she was going too far. So she moved her face and turned to the side, he kept his kissing on her neck biting her, she tried to caught her breath and caught what was left of her dignity.

**"Okay... you can have it back..." **


	4. Chapter 4- Boone

Boone woke up the next day to the sun, he lifted his head and wiped the drool from his lip, as he shifted he cracked his back and looking around, the barracks and his beret was tossed on the ground. Standing up, his clothing seemed to stick to him with a layer of sweat, he place the beret on his head along with his sunglasses, last night was a blur, he had drunk too much, all the sniper would remember was lips... kisses and an ache. There wasn't many women in first recon and the ones they did have didn't interest him... all but one, but in reality she was not first recon. A row of bunk beds and one bed stood out, her's. She was the only one who made her bed, while the rest had messed the everything he came across, it seemed to Craig that she cleaned everything, she sure as hell cleaned the Mojave. Making his way out of the building he enjoyed the slight breeze, a group of soldiers passed by him and didn't say anything , but once the man found someone he knew he spoke up.

"Hey Davidson." He looked to a soldier, "Have you seen Miller?"

"Yeah boss, he is up on the tower with Walker." Just Boone's luck, whatever he did last night, he knew he had the chance to lose a friendship over not thinking things through and they were a small number.

Making his way up the stairs to the tower he could hear voices and he had no doubt who it was.

"You got a first name, or should I just call ya Miller?" Laura said.

"Don't laugh miss, but the name is Sean." he removed his eyes from the scope and watched her take off her boots, Laura sat on her chair next to Miller, her gold locks braided. Neither of them seem to notice the old sniper resting on rails on the top of the stairs.

"Sean Miller, why is that so funny?" she went on.

"Don't really know" He put his sniper rifle down and picked up the pair of binoculars on the table in between them. "Did you hear that the fiends are getting a new leader?"

"Hell, with my luck, they will ask me to pick up their messes." she lit up a cigarette and massaged her bare feet.

"Ma'am, if you want I can..." She shot him a dirty look, "Sorry miss, I used to massage my mama's feet after she tend the Brahman, if you... want to me.. I'll try it on you." She gave him an odd look, before dusting the dirt from her feet and putting it on his lap.

"Mama, used to do the all the work after pa died, she tended the cattle and us kids would clean the house." he put the binoculars back on the table and put both hands on her foot, rubbing circles on the soles. "I would read stories about the great Hero of the NCR to my little brothers. So i knew that at 16 what I wanted to do." she didn't make a sound just leaned back her head and replaced her sunglasses over her eyes. "I been shooting my gun at bottles for ages, so when I got on the shooting rang, I did pretty good. They set me up with one of the best snipers in the Mojave, I would have never though he once traveled with the person who... I looked up to."

"Don't tell anyone I said this, but that boy showed me how to shot a damn sniper rifle" She didn't move at all when she talked. "I learned a lot from my companions and without them I would have been dead." she flinched when he ran his finger on the tender spot. "Fuck... see it's tight there." he softly kneaded the spot.

"Did you step on something?"

"Who knows." she relaxed again, "But whatever you are doing, it's working." She closed her eyes and leaned back on her chair. "What else can you do, boy?"

"I could move up the leg and do the back.."

"Nah, been felt up enough for one day... wait you said back..." She sat up right, "I got this knot on my back that's been killing me." She looked to him as he nodded in agreement and without another word she pulled off her tank top, which had nothing but skin under it and the teenager's mouth was agape again. Turning around she spotted saw Craig, she winked before placing her shirt on ground and laid on it.

"Don't worry I won't bite, but I don't know what to say about your partner." It took some time for the young sniper to realize what she was talking about and noticing Boone. Miller lifted up his arms, red in his face as if he was caught fucking someone's wife.

"Mister.. mister Boone, it was not..."

"It was not you trying to slip a finger in the Hero?" A sound of laughter left Laura, who stayed on the ground, listening, "Looking up little old ladies skirts." It took a moment for Sean to realize that his partner was joking, it wasn't like Boone was one to joke and he kept a straight face the whole time. "Now finish her, you don't start something without finishing. One thing you need to learn boy." Moving over to the chair he sat down, fighting the urge to turn back to them he stayed watching the outside only listening to the two talking and the moans that came from the Hero.

"Yeah there..." She moaned. Boone had to shake the image of him making her say that, it had been too long since he was with a woman and even longer to have or know a woman he could trust.

"So tell me more about your family." Finally Laura's moans ceased and she was on another topic.

"Ain't much to say." his knuckles cracked as he pushed it up her spine.

"You where the oldest?"

"Yeah."

"And your brothers?"

"Too young to join the army and too young know better."

"All boys are too young know better."

'If I had some oils this would be easier."

"Good luck with finding that in the wasteland." She shifted her shoulders, "You done?"

"That is up to you ma'am." she got up to her knees.

"I guess so."

"You can sit on the chair if you like ma'am." She sat down on the chair, with her shirt back on and crossed her legs, she picked up a cigarette and lit it.

"Can you sit up boy, or our you going to poke someone's eye out." She joked at him, since he was still kneeling.

"Sorry ma'am..." She flicked the ash from her cigarette his way.

"You know we are supported to be on leave." Craig turned to the two. "should be on the strip, not in a god damn sniper tower."

"If you boys want, just go, I'll stay here." the smoke left her mouth, "always on vacation, so this is my down time, ain't no fiend dumb enough to mess with me."

"I am fine with staying here, ma'am, with you." He finally stood up.

"Boy, you're going to lose some teeth if you keep calling me that." she flicker her ash at him.

"Ain't you going to the strip with your girl." Miller looked to his feet as he said this.

"She can wait, it's not like they don't know us in every damn casino." she puffed a O shape of smoke. "besides, killin is better then whores anytime." she spoke like she was bored with the strip, maybe she sounded like someone who needed the sand between her toes, that was the Courier Boone knew, not this sit on her ass old lady she had become,"You know, I still need to pick up ED-E from Raul. That little fucking robot almost got junked." She breathed in deeply "When you boys getting back?"

"Few days." The Craig said under his breath

**"I guess I'll wait till you boys leave."  
"Miller." Boone spoke, "Grab us some food, take a break, kid." the Kid nodded and quickly made his way down the stairs and for a few moments the two old friends sat in silence.**

"I thought with all the drinking you do, it would have been easy for you to handle your boozes." The Hero didn't look to him and her voice seemed more serious than it was with Miller around. "You tie your tongue with every one when you get drunk." She sounded almost bitter.

"Been fairly good about drinking since I reenlisted. I used to be drunk all the time... when you first met me. And I remember how you were, I doubt you invited me to join ya, just cause you felt bad for me." He knew how she felt about him when they first met, she had god damn puppy eyes for him and he was in no place to allow some courier to mess with him getting his revenge. "You made the same look Carla made when she first met me."

"Listen I'm sorry about Carla, I've tried to help and I needed another soldier with me. You know damn well how I felt about the NCR and how I still feel." She seemed annoyed and yet sad at the same time.

"No..." He said it as if he was talking to himself. "For some reason you wanted me and I was not ready. Things change. I told you more than I ever told Carla. I got my revenge and because of you... you I don't hate myself because of what happened at Bitter Springs. I don't think I have anyway to thank you." Laura seemed shocked by what he said and as much as he wanted to brush his lips on hers, just to feel that same feeling last night, he didn't. "We live different lives now."

"Very different." She said after a while of silence, "I don't think I like who I have become. In fact I fucking hate it." The Hero leaned back in her chair. "I met ya, and sure there ain't many soldiers looking like you and yes I had no fucking right and I sure as hell understand. Who was I to come on like some horny teenager, but then you came back. After all these fucking years. How was I to act? I've been stuck here for the last year kissing ass with Kimball and sitting on my ass. You know how much weight I gained? Then you, come back with your freedom, with all my memories of my past and feeling I ain't had felt for the last five years."

"And you blame me for all that?" just the through seem absorbed.

"No, I blame you for this." she stood up and as quick as a fox she was in front of him, her hot mouth met his. Before she tried to pull back he had his hand on the side of her face and he pulled her back to him. The heat from her body against his, quicken his heart beat, and before he had the chance to explore her body, she pulled away again. "I can't be with you. I can't work with you, when I know we have the same thing on our minds. I'm too old to play games like this and I'm not going to let myself rot in a place like this." She backed up, her cheeks pink, her body covered with goose bumps and even her hard nipples could be seen through her shirt. "Lets just keep things the way it used to be. Last night never happened."

The old sniper wondered if the two had slept with each other, from the way the woman acted and he was in no place to ask and he knew she would have denied if that was the case. Still he had to agree, she pushed her feeling away all those years ago and now it was his turn, beside she did have a girlfriend.


	5. Chapter 5- Laura

The day was long for the Hero, the weather was warmer than normal and sometime the air was thick between her old companion and her. She had changed in her years of travel as she knew he did, but she also still had the some of the same feelings as she did before. It was years ago when the Hero was called Courier, after she awoke in the house of Doc Mitchell, the night when metal met her flesh was lost, even after being stuck in a bed for a week, that night never came back to her. Going only on hearsay she had to put her trust in the Goodspring's people to help her, slowly her mind put things together, the white plaid coat, the voice, the gun, then finally the face. Collecting every person the courier met, she found that helping people was more importance than settling the score to the gunman,_ It was the fear of facing him_ She realized, looking up to the gate of New Vegas, even though this was not the first time the woman had stepped into the strip, this felt like the first time she was meant to go there. Once she killed Benny, the man who had tried to kill her, she had realized that before, before she became courier number six, she was nothing, just a bug in the wasteland, but now she had the chance to change things. Starting with her friends, the woman took every step she needed to bring light to the Mojave, then to the NCR.

In some ways Laura, was a hired gun for the NCR, but in others she a peace keeper, saving lives and bring tribes together. She had done more in those years than she had done in her whole life, she had meaning to her life, but once the war was over, once the second battle over Hoover Dam ended, she was back into meaninglessness._ I'm useless now_. She would tell herself, her friends all moved on, they had meaning to their lives, when she felt useless. Grey eyes would look to her and tell her she was needed, while the woman looking back would brush her hair. _Lies_. Laura knew. She had enough caps to never worry and she was well know that she would get free room and food if she stayed along with NCR.

Then there is the fancy dresses, the kind of things that Laura would only wear when she would make her way onto the strip, Dresses weren't her thing, she couldn't even slip into a merc outfit unless it came with a pair of pants. Wearing a dress reminded her of the night that she met Benny, she fitted her short hair into lovely curls with some old dress and heel, she would stumble on her own feet when she walked, but lucky for her, Benny didn't care about her walk. Hell she remembered that after she killed Benny she would walk down the strip in his suit, but for tonight she wear a pinstripe suit, all black with a rusty red tie, close to what she read in prewar books would be called_ zoot suits_. She brushed out her hair leaving it in it normal luster as she looked into the semi-cracked mirror, her eyes looked tired and worried, she had a needing to shoot something, to kill. Thinking about skipping the whole night at the strip, she had wanted to walk into the fiend's territory and put them down one by one, like the dogs they were. Still she didn't, though the hope that Betsy would find someone else, to bed that night and maybe never come back to her, gave her the idea of slipping out just for target practice.

Soldiers ran like children through the hallways of the old airport, making their way to the monorail, while the woman walked, taking each step slowly. Her hair was loose on her shoulders when she slipped into the busy monorail. Vegas never changed, the NCR did nothing to make it a better place, same old strip same old casinos and same old whores. Betsy loved the Strip, it was the high life and big city she wanted to live in, when all the Hero wanted was to be anywhere else but here, Laura wanted to go back to the wasteland, while her mate wanted to stay in the big city, The Hero was ready to leave this area, with or without her girlfriend.

Laura kept her head down on the monorail ride to the strip when someone sat next to her. She turned to the soldier, it was Miller, smiling and still wearing his **NCR bandoleer armor**.

"First time on the strip?" she spoke first.

"You bet, ma... Miss." He made his self stop and smile.

"I'll also take it you're, a virgin." She looked at him blush, "It's okay, when I was your age, I was babysitting the kids in Primm."

"Your from Primm?" trying to dodged the question about his virginity.

"Yup, I was learning to be a mother but babysitting made me want to NOT have kids." She smirked to herself, "I wanted the sand in my toes. When I turned 18, I flipped off the small town and took a courier job. Spent my whole, damn life traveling." she shrugged, "Will until, some Vegas asshole shot me in the head some 20 years later." She felt old saying that as she fumbled with her finger, "So where is your partner?"

"You didn't see him?" He looked to her, "He got dressed up and everything." She looked up into the crowd of soldiers, Miller pointed to Boone, she was surprised.

"Wow, I didn't think, that boy, changed his clothing." She smirked, looking at him, he still had that stupid beret on. "Why didn't you dress up?"

"I really don't have anything else to wear but this." He patted his uniform.

The monorail stopped with a squeak, the sound she got used to from going to the strip with her girlfriend. She kept her head down as she watched the footwear of the soldiers leave. She liked to be the last one to leave the monorail, she felt like she was watching over the soldiers instead of feeling them watching her. Finally, she stood up and noticed someone was there, her old companion was staring at her. Feeling a little awkward, not sure if she should just walk off or say something to him, but she took too long thinking about what to do, that the doors shut and it answered her questions. She walked back to her seat, crossing her legs and she finally met his eyes. He looked tried without his sunglasses and he looked odd to her, with his dirty prewar suit. He was making less than half of what he made when he was working with her and it showed, she was good at talking people into giving her more money, she still was, just now she dropped her name and everyone was willing to pick her up for it.

"So..." She broke the thick fog of silence.

"Where's Betsy?" he looked to her

" She went to the strip earlier today, it's better than being here."

"Did you tell her?"

"Tell her what?" The sounds of the monorail sounded louder than even, she knew this was going to be a long trip. "Nothing to tell."

"So that's how we're going to play it." He walked her way and sat next to her, "She ain't around and I know the truth and I doubt you got shot in the head again."

"What do you want me to say?" She sighed, "You want me to tell you how much I love or need you? Cause that was years ago. Old fucking song and dance."

"I don't want you to say anything that ain't the fucking truth. That is all I ever wanted, you never sugar coated any shit for me in the past, why should it be different now?" His face was unreadable, "I know you, I know this ain't your kinda thing."

"Like you know what kinda thing is like me, anymore."

"So, you're happy then."

"I didn't say that." She stood up as she saw Camp McCarran in the windows, "I don't even fucking know." The monorail squeaked, " It was fucking easier before, when it was all get to point A to B and now... now it's just lay on my ass." Once the Monrail doors opened she quickly wanted out, freedom filled her lungs as fresh air came. her back to the wall as slowed her breathing, she was safe in the open space... open space. If it wasn't for that fucking grave... she told herself.

"I heard about you, even in California." Boone had followed her and was now somewhere besides her.

"Yeah, I did sleep around with more than a few NCR soldiers." She tried to change the subject.

"Heard you were attacking slavers... and anyone trying to bring the Legion fucks trying to get back north."

"So what.." she slipped her fingers into her pocket and slipped out a cigarette.

"When I saw you, what... two years ago, you were drunk on the strip. too drunk to notice I was hitting on you." She looked up at him, she remembered seeing him, but she didn't remember him making a move on her.

"Must have been pretty wasted."

"You were..." He lit the his own cigarette, "I wasn't..." A puff of smoke came out as he said that.

"I got a girlfriend you know."

"And she left you earlier today."

"Shes young, still enjoys the big city and bright lights and shit." She breathed deeply and leaned her head back on the wall.

"Had a wife like that."

"Who would have guessed."

"And she cheated on me." this made the Hero turn to her old companion.

"You never said."

"You didn't need to know." Flicking off pieces of ash he looked back at her, "before she was pregnant, she ran off for a few weeks. To Vegas. She stayed with some guy and once she had gotten her fill, she came back to me. I forgave her, I loved her, then she was pregnant. I don't even know if it was mine or his."

"I'm sorry."

"I gave her everything and yet she left me. I forgave her. I would have done anything for her. So when she needed saving, I let her die."

"I didn't know." Laura put her hand on his shoulder.

"When the legion took her, I thought she ran away again, but there was a struggle." Boone dropped his cigarette and stepped it out, " That Frumentarius. He was the man she was with."

"What?" Her mouth dropped "How did you know?"

"She told me, the details, how he looked, how he acted, his scars. I was not sure until he was dead."

"So you think they bought her for his child?"

"I'd guess." the Hero's walls broke down as he spoke and all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him. "When you love someone." He continued, "you would anything to make them happy. You forgive." she backed away from him.

"So what are you trying to say?" All she needed was another idiot saying they loved her.

"Do you love her? Betsy. Does she love you?"

"Fuck you, You have no right" Her face changed. _How dare he ask such a thing._

"Yeah, no fucking right." He crossed his arms.

"I don't need to be fixed."

"You fixed me, before helping yourself. Loved that about you, but now I know it's just you hiding."

"Hiding from what?" Her face was turning red.

"The truth." He was in front of her now and before she could register what he was doing he was kissing her roughly, not even letting the puff of smoke out of her mouth. She moved her head to the side, blowing the smoke out, while pushing him away.

"You're dangerous for me." She said leaning back against the wall, he smirked when she said this.

"Thought that is what you liked about me." They stayed looking at the ground for a few moments before he spoke again, "Walk with me"

"We need to get back to the strip." she said under her breath

"Need?" he looked back to her, "right now... I need you." He said it bluntly, which caused her to look at him.

"I want..." She paused, not sure what she really wanted, "I don't know."

"You should find out what you want..." his forehead tightened, "before... before, it's too late."

"It's already too late." The monorail stopped and opened the door. She walked into the monorail and sat down. She looked into the empty Monorail than back to Boone, "I know what I need." Instead of taking the two she had in front of her, she left, she left the Monorail, she left Boone. Instead she found her weapon and walked out the gate of Camp McCarran.  
~

Without armor she was open, less open with the NCR armor, which would cause attention from the fiends, though if she was to get hit it was less likely that she would live through it. A old Hotel, just outside of Camp McCarran, was home to a few lone fiends, it was dark so most of the fiends were starting to binge on chems. Untying her tie, before kicked the door open, the first door had two fiends laying on the bed, they stood up as she broke down the door and before they had gotten to her, she shot them dead. Laura swiped the Hotel room looking for caps and ammo, looting reminded her of her past, so going through the motions was one way to get her mind free. The Hero did this until the two story Hotel was empty, most rooms were empty or locked and she had enough caps to get herself a pretty new gun.

This was claiming to her busy mind and by the time she was back in the camp, it was mid night, slipping her rifle under her bunk, she felt good enough to find herself back on the monorail, alone. It was too late for most soldiers to come back to the strip but too early for most of them to come back to the airport. New Vegas shined like a diamond at night, the power at full strength made the once darken city look like it was before the bombs fell, mostly. The securitrons were mostly gone, when the NCR took over, now having living soldiers watching over, while the rest of the wastelanders drink there sorrows away. This Laura wanted to do, but first she needed to talk to Betsy.

Gomorrah the so called den of sin was filled with soldiers, some dancing with the strippers and some dancing alone, then there were the ones who just watched, Betsy was one of those types. The Hero found her off in one of the corners, drinking alone while one of the another woman stripped, Laura made her way to her and joined with her, while Betsy spend her time whispering sweet nothings that fell flat on the Hero. Her mind was on Boone and what he said, she was wondering if she was settling, for this younger woman, who still enjoyed whores more than the company of the Hero. Then she wondered if she was willing to give up her love for traveling for anyone, Betsy or Boone, she knew she wanted to travel, but she was best alone. She sighed and looked to Betsy, who had her hand on Laura's lap.

She flat out asked her, "are you going to enlist again?" To Betsy, it was a random question.

"oh... will I wanted to talk to you about that." Betsy reached for something in her pocket, she pulled out a simple old gold band ring and terror filled the old Hero's eyes. "Lets settle down together. Lets have kids and do all that normal shit."

"I don't... I don't want to settle down... I don't want to have kids... I don't." She stood up after saying this. "I know you love me, but... this ain't my type of thing... sorry." Betsy looked down at the ring.

"We don't have to settle down or have kids, just stay with me." Betsy normally was too proud to beg, "I don't think i can do this without you."

**"You did a lot of things before you even met me." Laura put her hand on Betsy's cheek, wiping a tear from her eye. "you are great... I just... I just need to work on myself now." Laura knew it was true, she didn't need a ring or a mate, she needed to get to know herself. Laura gave Betsy a final kiss and walked away.**


	6. Chapter 6- Boone

He hated himself. A rush of terror crossed the old snipers face as he watched his old friend walk away. A stabbing pain like he felt when he lost Manny, once he realized that he had lost a friend, because he pushed too much. Once the Hero left Boone's side he was in the monorail, loathing himself, loathing that things didn't happen sooner. He didn't sit down, instead he stood up, his hand grabbing a bar, his eyes looking at the fast moving wasteland outside and his face, his reflection looking back, miserable and old. "Is this how the world see me?" there was no doubt in his mind and before he would react, he was already at Vegas.

Stepping out he remembered the city where he met his wife, the first time he spent the night with her and where they wed. Now he had to shake it away, she was long dead, along with 'his' child. He used to wonder if the Legion tried to save the baby, keep it to become some soldier then be killed in the second war of Hoover Dam and the thought of him being the man who had killed his maybe son. It wouldn't have been the first child he had killed but the thought that it might have been his was would really got to him.

Many soldiers spent most of their time in Gomorrah, the only place they could see nude woman and buy them for a night, while other Hotels on the Strip didn't have prostitutes, but to Craig it was not an easy place to step in. Less than a decade ago the sniper was on leave, he walked into that Hotel and he caught the eye of a waitress, Carla, thick dark hair and sun kissed skin, she was the most beautiful woman in that hotel. He had stumbled over the words while Carla giggled at his shyness. That night he bedded the woman, the next day he gave her everything, in a month they were wed and within a month he left the NCR to be with her, then after a year, she had used the caps he had saved up, the payments from the NCR long gone. The sniper took odd jobs to keep his wife happy, while the only job that kept him happy was when he finally became the night sniper, finally he felt useful again, that is until she was gone for the first time.

"I should have listened." He told himself as he thought about the night that Manny had confronted him.

"She's using you." Manny knew it from the get-go, but Craig wouldn't even dignify his warning with a reply, "That night, she met you. That bitch was playing for any soldier that would bite, most of them liked the strippers better than her, but you."

It was also the same once she left him, "She played you like a fool." Then after she returned, "She came back with another man's kid and you don't see the fucking problem here?" But the straw that broke the back was Manny's grin when Craig told him about kidnapping.

Boone had made his way back to the Lucky 38, which had became opened after the NCR took over. Every bar on the strip had it's own memory, but Lucky 38, they were all good memories, walking back into the casino was Deja Vu and it was just reflex when he pushed the button to the presidential suite. He still had the key, hell everyone who traveled with Laura still had it, it was one perk of traveling with her. Yet still he regretted it, as soon as he walked into the suite he had a flash of memories; the time when Laura came back into the suite in Benny's plaid suit, she had gone straight to the bathroom to bathe and used a whole box Abraxo cleaner, Of course she never wear the suit again, she even offered it to her companions, each of them tried it on once but never again, her blood was still caked on to the suit and it was unreal that even now it hangs in the closet.

Stepping into the kitchen where Raul had taught them how to play "truth or dare", where everyone had kissed each other at least once and never did Boone never answer "truth". In fact no one really answered to truth, the group enjoyed the dares; everything from running nude down the strip to making one of the securitrons in Mr. House's suite blind. Not everything was good, there were the days when Laura would yell if someone ate one of her wasteland omelet. Still it was all laughable now, but a part of Boone wanted a drink, _Should have stopped by the bar before this_. This only made him realize how much he missed though days and how much he missed Laura.

"Bar it is." He told himself as he slipped back into the elevator. Drinking for one, never helped, he would think about how he would drink each time Carla left him and how much he drank until he was back into the NCR. He had to sober up before he was assigned a partner and it had mostly been because he drank alone, he had slipped back into it, when he didn't notice.

After a hour of self loathing and half a bottle of vodka, he had gain the need to leave, taking the bottle he did just that and despite his better self he wanted to see the Hero again. To hold her, to kiss her, to go sober for her, while he hadn't done the last, he had gotten himself back to the airport, but before he had left the monorail he lost everything in his gut. The hot fluid was just as hot coming up as coming down and yet it was what he needed to calm himself down. With all the sick feelings in his gut gone like what was left in his stomach, the feeling of being drunk was still there, his low parts going even lower as he tossed the empty bottle into the wall before he vomited what was left inside him. He looked worse than before and it took him a numerous amount of energy just to make himself walk to the locker room.

If the locker room was full or empty the sniper didn't care, everything was a blur anyway, all he had in his sight was a shower. Groping on the nobs of the shower, he didn't even bother taking off his clothing when the cold water hit his face and cold water is what he needed. The mess on his face and the dirt of his outfit made the water dark, as the cold water helped him gain more control over his body, he finally gain the strength to undress. Making a mess of wet clothing puddled on the floor, his head in his hands as he slowed his mind, enough to keep from getting any more dizzy, then he opened his mouth and began taking handfuls of water. It felt like hours he spent in the shower, when he finally felt clean, that was when he turned the water off and instead of drying himself off he looked down to the scars scattered on his chest, each bullet had a story and each were a part of his sad story. He stood there long enough that the warm Mojave night air had done the drying for him and he found himself searching every locker to find something to wear.

The airport was dead when he made his way back to the bunker, his hand held the extra fabric of the pants he found, a few sizes bigger it still was enough, he walked bare foot until he found his bed, the few soldiers were already fast asleep. He found his own under clothes and slipped into them when the door opened and someone walked it. The darkness clocked the face but the long gold hair was a dead give away.

"It's late, I need sleep, boy." Laura sat down and took off her suit jacket, she slept on the bed next to his and without another word she laid on her stomach.

"I'll let you sleep, but tomorrow we should talk." He laid down on his bed, wearing only his underclothes. The dizzy feelings would leave him as long as he sat still, so he focused his eyes on the woman on the bed next to him.

"I can feel your eyes undressing me." Her tone was jokingly.

"I'm just trying not to get sick." The Hero finally turned to head to met his stare.

"Drinking again?" He nodded a reply, "You're not a fun drunk or a mean one, your-"

"A depressed drunk." He cut her off.

"Why the fuck do you do this to yourself?"

"I have my reasons. Why is it important to you? I'm sure your girlfriend keeps you busy on worry."

"You're my fucking friend, that's why and I don't... I don't have a girlfriend anymore."

"What.." he couldn't believe what she was saying and instead of comforting her all he wanted to do was kiss, "Lay with me."

"You're drunk." she turned her body towards him, "you're no place to be sticking anything in any where."

"I know a way to sober myself."

"No." She said while turning herself away from him, "We can talk in the morning. Good night."

She had the final say and as much as he wanted her, he also knew she was right. After a good night of sleep, he could be whole again, he would be able to see reason and then he could slip away with her.

* * *

The morning sun caused an ache in Boone's head and the pounding began again, if only he felt the peace he had when he was asleep. He fought the light by shoving his face back into the pillow, but the sound of moving feet didn't help, finally he popped a bloodshot eye out from under the pillow, the light blinding him shortly, until he could see and there was a figure near him.

"Drink this." there was no doubt that it was Laura as she handed him a bottle of clean water. "You must have forgot about the feeling of a hangover." He took the bottle and lazily sat up to drink, Laura as sitting on her bed her leg stretched out so that her toes catch the metal frame of his bunk she had changed and looked as if she just came out of the shower.

"How long was I out?" His hands moved to find his pack where he slipped out his sunglasses.

"You slept like a fucking baby, drool and everything. I'd guess a good 12 hours." She ran her hands over her coat of her Merc cruiser outfit, "We need to sober your ass up, so drink up. We're going for a run." She stood up and became running her fingers through her semi wet hair and began tying it up into a bun.

"What your fucking plan? Boot camping me into being sober?" He said as he stood up.

"You could say that, but first I'm going to make you work that alcohol out of your system."

"Yes, mother." He was slipping on his pants when the woman charged at him, pushing him into the wall, with her hand holding tight on his bare shoulders.

"If I have to be your fucking mother then I will be, but I ain't a fucking loving mother." she looked almost pissed but he knew that face, he had seen it before, the same face she had made the last time she made him sober.

"You can't be my mother, cause I never wanted to fuck my mother." this took her back and let him go from her grip. "It can't be THAT easy. Don't tell me you gone soft."

Her face didn't change but her action spoke while she didn't, "Just get ready, I'll be in the training yard, don't make me look for you." She took a few steps back and looked at him, before she walked away. Soon he was to follow her once he was dressed, he made his way to the back area where other soldiers trained. The Hero was there, smoking her cigarette and watch the soldiers running the obstacle course.

"It took you long enough." She spoke as he was only a few steps behind her.

"How the hell do you do that anyway?" He stood next to her now, while the woman began slipping out of her leather coat.

"You stomp your feet. Good think you're a sniper." she turned to him with her arms crossed over her breasts. "I want you to run and don't you fucking stop running until I tell you so. Got it?" Her big sunglasses mirroring his own image.

"Yes ma'am." He replied playfully but she didn't change her face, he stood there for a moment while the woman's unchanged face looked back at him, then he was off running. He started off fast over the incline, moving around poles and then climbing out over a small fence, it was easy the first few time but as he went on the, wear of drinking had got to him. When he would stop to take a breath, she would yell something and he would start moving again, this happened many times and it seemed that each time he stopped she would add an extra five laps to the course. It was hours before the dry heaving started and his sweat went through the shirt of his Merc grunt outfit, that was when she joined him. Still yelling at him each time he stopped to heave, his legs were on fire when she told him he could stop and he fell to the hot ground.

"You spend another night drinking like that. I don't care if you're in fucking California, I'll make you do this again." she was leaning forward with her hands on her knees, breathing heavy, but not as much as he was, but still heavy. She didn't say anything more before she walked off, but in her place was his partner, Miller.

"Damn, Boone." He said while looking down to his partner, "A bunch of soldiers were taking bets on you, when you would stop and when you punch her in the face." He stretched out his arm to help Boone up and he took it.

* * *

Craig slipped out of his white shirt and ran it through the cool water, he rubbed himself with the wet shirt cleaning of his sweat, reminding him about the other night, just this time he was sober and glad to be. It was only starting to get dark when he felt the need to lay down, so he slipped into one of the sniper's towers which was oddly empty, but then again it was at a side were very little happened. He took a seat on of the chairs and within minutes he was asleep. The sound of the door slamming close was loud enough to wake him and by now it was completely dark.

"So much for this being a peaceful place." Laura walked over to him, "I fucking swear I can't go anywhere without seeing my mopey ex or you."

"You saying I mope?" he replied while rubbing his eyes.

"Then what would you call it?" she sat down on the chair across the small sniper tower, "I should be fucking gone, but my duty well never fucking end, well it?" She leaned back in her chair and looked at him, as if she was trying to fix a puzzle.

**"What? Are you going to make me run more, cause I ain't fucking drunk." He looked at her in the same puzzled look.**

She sighed, "I'm going to do something, but don't read into it, okay." she stood up without a another warning she sat on lap and kissed him. "Cause I wanted to do this." She was straddling his legs, "I just want to do when you wouldn't shit faced." and with a grin she came back for another kiss.


End file.
